


Fusion

by thebluezephyr



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Dancer Xu Ming Hao | The8, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Happy Ending, Internal Conflict, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Pianist Wen Jun Hui | Jun, Xu Ming Hao | The8-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-12 16:05:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19135450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebluezephyr/pseuds/thebluezephyr
Summary: Xu Minghao needs a pianist to accompany him for the most important dance performance of his life. His only option is the one person he never wanted to see again.





	Fusion

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Junhao day!
> 
> I've been wanting to write a long one-shot for a while now, and with Seventeen giving us so much content recently (stream Happy Ending!) Minghao's new single and Jun's birthday, today seemed like the perfect occasion.
> 
> This fic was directly inspired by the videos of Jun playing his piano intro for DWC! It turned out much longer than I expected and I drew from my own personal experiences, but I'm happy with it.
> 
> I promised myself that I'd give every single member at least a speaking role, and while that was a challenge, I had a lot of fun writing the boys.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

"See me after you're done."

Xu Minghao looked up from poring over the notes Soonyoung had scrawled in his little choreography notebook. The two of them had been going over the details of their team's upcoming performance, when Minghao heard his name.

He nodded quickly at Coach Han. He hoped everything was okay; he really couldn't afford to get into any trouble.

The only thing he could think about these days was the year-end event organised by his school, where scouts from the most prestigious performing arts universities and entertainment companies would make an appearance.

Only the cream of the crop got to perform on the  _Ideal Cut_ stage, and the competition was stiff. If the stringent elimination process didn't get to you, the stress from the relentless training was definitely likely to.

But the payoff was immense - a platform to show off your skills to the most distinguished members of the field, and the opportunity to hone your craft at the finest institutions and consider it as a viable career option.

 _This was going to be his big break_ , Minghao kept telling himself, as he dragged himself to the dance studio after long days of classes, just so he could get his choreography to be absolutely perfect.

He was grateful for Soonyoung. The older boy had seen Minghao dancing by himself in an empty classroom, back when he was just the new kid, too shy to talk to anyone. Soonyoung had convinced Minghao to join his dance team, of which he was the leader.

Minghao had become fast friends with the other members of the team, and after months of rigorous practice, the boys were to perform on the final day. That, of course, called for more hours of training, and Minghao was rarely found outside the studio on most days.

After wrapping up his discussion with Soonyoung, Minghao walked up to Coach Han, with what he hoped was a winning smile on his face, in an attempt to hide the evidence of all the sleepless nights.

"You're looking good." barked the coach, clapping Minghao on the back. "You boys have been putting a lot of effort into this, especially you. Which is why I have a proposition."

Minghao was intrigued. It always felt gratifying to hear praise from their rather no-nonsense coach. He nodded his affirmation, curious.

"I'm sure you're aware of the importance of the show next month. You need to make a good impression on the scouts, if you want to get into the university of your choice or a place in the industry. And it's always harder to stand out when you're in a group, no matter how good you are.

After months of observing your skills and your level of determination, I thought it would be prudent to offer you a solo slot in the show."

Minghao couldn't believe his ears. An opportunity to display his dancing, and that too, solo, at such a significant event was invaluable.

He was incredibly proud to be a part of his group, but Soonyoung had already been selected as a trainee in one of the biggest companies in the industry, and Chan and the younger members still had a few years left to think about it.

Minghao, however, was almost in his final year, and anything that took him one step closer to his dream was welcome. Before he could open his mouth to ask any questions, the coach continued.

"You get three minutes on stage, which should be more than enough for you to make an impression. You can choose to decline, and focus on your group performance. But I strongly advise you to take this chance and make the best of it."

"Of course, I'd consider it an honour." Minghao rushed out.

"Alright." Coach Han looked proud. "You've got a challenge ahead of you - to do justice to both your performances without burning out. But if anyone can do it, it's you, Minghao."

If Minghao thought his current practice schedule was exhausting, this was going to be an entirely different ball-game. But there was no way he was passing up on this opportunity.

The coach continued. "You'll have to clear the elimination round on your own merit, even though I've given you a personal recommendation. And you'll need a musician to accompany you."

Minghao was too excited to think clearly. He listened to all the performance instructions, nearly got his hand crushed by the coach's parting handshake, and walked away to tell his members the good news, a spring in his step.

~

"I've got an idea for the concept. And I need an accom - Mingyu, are you listening to me?"

The aforementioned boy grunted in response, still looking down at his phone. Minghao rolled his eyes, and smacked his friend upside the head.

Mingyu looked up with a sheepish grin, canines showing in all their glory. In his defence, it was a particularly hot afternoon, they'd just come out of Political Science and Minghao had been talking his ear off about his performance all day. Before he could continue, they heard an enthusiastic greeting from behind them.

The two brightened up when they saw one of the boys in their year, who had a smile that rivalled the sun.

"It's been a while, hasn't it? Tell me what I missed, between yesterday and this afternoon." Seokmin said, as he put his arms around Mingyu and Minghao.

Minghao didn't miss the opportunity to tell him the recent development. Seokmin nodded along, interested. Mingyu went back to his phone, presumably texting the guy he'd been pining over for weeks.

"This is perfect, actually. I need an accompanist for my performance. Seokmin, do you know anyone who could help me out? Anyone in your Theatre Club play an instrument?"

Seokmin looked thoughtful. "I could ask Joshua. He plays the guitar, although I dunno if that would help. You probably need someone who plays the violin or the piano."

Mingyu looked up at that. "Piano? You could ask Jun, I heard he plays pretty well. He's Wonwoo's roommate and is in his Music Theory class. He's a decent guy, and he should be free around this time of year. You could ask him if he's willing to help."

Seokmin nudged Mingyu, whose face had turned pink at the mention of Wonwoo's name. Mingyu shoved him back, and the two began wrestling playfully, failing to notice the hard look in Minghao's eyes.

~

Minghao didn't always feel distaste when he heard Wen Junhui's name. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Junhui had been his neighbour, and their mothers were good friends. It didn't help that he was the only other Chinese kid around, had a warm personality and the prettiest smile Minghao had ever seen. The two had been inseparable for years, and spent all their time making up games and playing on the beach, until Junhui and his family moved away.

Minghao had looked up to Junhui like a big brother, and was willing to do anything for him. He scoffed when he thought about it now - _how desperate he'd been to impress him._

But that was a long time ago. He doubted Junhui even remembered him, let alone the incident that had made Minghao resent him.

Seven years can do a lot to change one's perception of the world and other people, and Minghao, for one, was more than happy to put inconsequential childhood events behind him and move on. His dance meant more to him than anything else, and he wasn't about to let anything get in his way.

That's what he told himself as he stood outside Wonwoo's room (he'd pestered Mingyu for the address). He took a deep breath.

He'd looked at every other alternative before resorting to this one. After asking around a little, he'd found that most of the musicians in his year or above were either too busy or complete strangers, and Minghao wasn't extroverted enough for that. Besides, Minghao acknowledged that Junhui knew what he was doing when it came to playing the piano.

Minghao took another deep breath, and knocked on the door.

A few moments later, he heard footsteps padding towards the door, and it swung open. Behind it stood a dark-haired boy, who Minghao assumed was Wonwoo, a pair of headphones around his neck.

When he raised a questioning brow, Minghao hastened to introduce himself. "I'm here to see Junhui. Mingyu told me you guys lived here."

Wonwoo nodded in understanding. He beckoned Minghao inside and closed the door behind them.

Minghao looked around in mild interest- the living room of the apartment looked clean enough, but there were colourful sticky notes on the furniture, several knick-knacks and pictures on the mantelpiece, and a skinny, black cat prowling around.

"Oi, Jun, this one's for you." Wonwoo called, as he slouched on the sofa and went back to his book.

Minghao was just grateful he didn't have to attempt to make small talk, and he watched in amusement as Wonwoo absently stroked the cat that had climbed onto his lap.

A door on the left opened, and Junhui walked out.

It'd been a while since Minghao had seen him. After Junhui had moved away in their childhood, Minghao had resigned himself to forget all about him, but it seemed the universe had had different plans.

Junhui had transferred to his high school, in the year above him. He hadn't seemed to have had the same trouble as Minghao in making friends. No, he'd just waltzed in and played up his charms, becoming one of the most popular students in the process.

When Minghao had caught a glimpse of him in the corridors a few months ago, he had hardly been able to believe it. Instead of approaching him to confirm his identity or confront him, Minghao had gone out of his way to avoid Junhui at all costs.

Until now, that was.

Junhui looked different from the version of him in Minghao's memories, not that Minghao spent a lot of time thinking about him. He was much taller now, he'd lost the baby fat in his cheeks and his hair was dyed a light brown.

Junhui rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his tousled hair, as he looked up. He smiled warily  _(his teeth were perfectly even now_ , Minghao noted) and said, "Can I help you?"

Minghao had to admit that hurt a little- not even a flicker of recognition in the older boy's eyes. He didn't say anything, and stared hard at Junhui, as if to dare him to remember.

A few long seconds later, Junhui's eyes widened and he let out an exclamation. "Minghao? Xu Minghao? Well, this is a surprise."

Minghao regarded Junhui, searching his expression. His eyes flashed with an array of emotions - shock, uncertainty, and a brief glimmer of happiness that settled into indifference.

Minghao had no patience for Junhui's theatrics. He was here for one thing only.

"It  _is_ a surprise, isn't it? Look, I'm going to keep this short. I need an accompanist for my dance performance on  _Ideal Cut,_ and you play the piano."

Junhui nodded, amused. "You're not the shy little kid you once were. I do, in fact, play the piano, but I'm afraid I just can't find enough time to help you out with your little performance." He drawled.

Minghao gritted his teeth. Had Junhui always been this annoying? Because he'd never wanted to throw something in someone's face as much as he did now, his resolution to put the past behind him entirely forgotten.

"It's not  _my little performance,_ it is, quite literally, the most important thing in my life. And Mingyu told me you're done with all your assignments this semester, and have a bit of free time on your hands."

Junhui put on a thoughtful expression.

"You must be really desperate. Fine, I have the time. But work on an entirely new piece? All those painstaking hours of practice? I dunno, it just doesn't sound like a lot of fun. What do I get out of it, Hao?"

Minghao walked closer to Junhui, until he was forced to move back. " _Don't_ call me that, asshole."

Much to his fury, Junhui began to laugh. "I think this conversation is over. Close the door on your way out, we don't want Ebony running off outside."

With that, he turned neatly and sauntered back into his room, leaving Minghao to glare in his wake.

After a few seconds, Minghao collected himself and walked to the front door, ignoring a perplexed Wonwoo who had removed his headphones and was saying, "What was all that about?"

Minghao slammed the door behind him.

~

"You're an idiot, Minghao."

Minghao looked up miserably, and put his head back in his hands again. Maybe telling their oldest and most responsible friend about his altercation was a bad idea, but it was a well-established fact that Seungcheol gave the best advice.

"You can't afford to lose your cool like that. You  _know_ how important this performance is for you. You need a good accompanist, and from where I sit, Jun is your best bet." said Seungcheol, in his most reassuring voice.

Hansol, who had been listening quietly to the conversation, piped up. "Why do you even hate Jun so much? I haven't seen the two of you interact once _,_ and he talks to  _everyone._ "

Minghao groaned. "I don't  _hate_ him, it's just - I can't - " He tailed off.

"Well then, I don't see the problem! I think you're just shy. All you need to do is go up to him and ask nicely, it'll be fine, I promise. Jun's a great guy and your performance is going to be  _awesome_!"

Minghao had no choice but to nod in the face of Hansol's earnest, gummy smile. Beside him, Seungcheol chuckled, looking at Minghao and shrugging, as if to say,  _there you have it._

~

Minghao couldn't believe he was doing this.

He'd cut short his break to catch the end of the senior Music Theory class, and was now impatiently waiting outside their lecture room.

_This had better be worth it._

Soon enough, the door opened and around thirty students walked out, and at the back of the crowd was Minghao's target. He seemed to be in a good mood, and was laughing at something Wonwoo had said, his entire body shaking in mirth.

Junhui sobered up quickly and waved Wonwoo away when he caught sight of Minghao in the corridor. "You again?"

Minghao made a great effort to swallow his pride, and said, in as even a tone as he could muster, "Junhui, I need your piano-playing skills for my dance performance. I would be highly grateful if you could help me out this one time."

"Oh, so you  _can_ be nice?" Junhui saw the furious look in Minghao's eyes, and backtracked. "I don't mind helping out, but like I said before, what do I get out of it?"

"You get the exposure and the experience of performing on such an important stage, and that too, in front of all the bigwigs." Minghao couldn't resist adding, "Imagine how  _proud_ Aunty would be if you got into one of those fancy universities, like she's always dreamed."

Junhui looked hard at Minghao. "That doesn't sound particularly convincing, but I'm feeling generous. I'll do it, so you can wipe that scowl off your face."

Minghao sighed in relief.

"Let me remind you that it's  _you_ who needs me.So drop the attitude, and we'll have fun working together. You _know_ I can be a nice guy." Junhui smiled and held his hand out.

Minghao took it, shook once and dropped it as soon as he could.

"I dunno about  _fun._ The final event is a month away,  _and_ I've got to work with my team as well." said Minghao, looking a little weary at the thought of it all.

"I have a concept idea that we need to discuss, so I can use your input when it comes to the accompanying piece." he said, carefully.

Junhui looked excited now. "Cool, I'm free to meet on Tuesday and Friday evenings. I _would_ say Wednesday, but Jeonghan and I have our weekly baking session, and I wouldn't miss that for the world. The rest of our nights off, Won and I watch movies in our dorm."

Upon seeing the dazed look on Minghao's face, Junhui paused. "Right. If we're going to make this work, you'll need my number, unless you still have it, of course." He winked.

Minghao rolled his eyes and handed his phone over. It seemed Junhui hadn't really changed much after all.

_This was going to be a long month._

~

"A fusion, you say?"

Minghao nodded. "Breakdancing is my area of expertise, but to simply do that for three minutes just isn't impressive enough. I had the idea of integrating the athletic style of b-boying with the lyrical nature of classical music. That's where you come in."

After putting it off for a day or two, Minghao decided that he just didn't have the time to be a coward. He finally texted Junhui, and the two had decided to meet in Minghao's dance studio, after both their day's classes.

Minghao was a little nervous about sharing his idea with someone for the first time, especially because it was Junhui. But to his surprise, the older boy looked genuinely intrigued.

"That sounds fascinating. If we manage to pull it off, you're golden."

Minghao flushed a little, and murmured his thanks. He hadn't expected such a positive response.

"Before I work out my part of it, would you mind showing me the dance you have in mind? Just so I can understand the concept better."

Not expecting to hear that, Minghao stood up. It did make sense for him to show Junhui his sample before they moved ahead, but for some reason, his heart began beating a little faster.

Nevertheless, he walked over to the far end of the studio where Soonyoung and Seokmin were chatting. When they saw him, they wolf-whistled and shot him the thumbs-up. Minghao smiled and played one of his usual practice tracks.

He moved to the centre of the studio and facing Junhui, he began.

Minghao was no stranger to dancing in front of people. It had always come easily to him, and he'd identified dance as his calling at a very young age. His mother had always supported him, enrolling him in the best classes and putting up with the years of him coming home with bruises, torn pants, and shoes ripped at the soles.

When he heard music, it was like his feet moved of their own accord, his body following along. His favourite style, by far, was  _breaking_ , and he reveled in the surprised gasps he elicited when he did a particularly cool trick or flipped three times in a row. It toughened his body up, and gave him the self-discipline he needed to focus on his dream.

His dream? All Minghao wanted was to be happy, and nothing else in the world made him as happy as his dance. He figured,  _Ideal Cut_ would be the stepping stone for him to meet professionals in the field and extract as much information from them as possible, learn new styles of dancing while enhancing his own, and become good enough at it to be able to keep doing it for the rest of his life.

He let all these emotions out when he danced, light on his feet. Minghao spent a big part of his life getting in his own head and overthinking things till they made no sense, but dancing set him free. He let himself forget the alarming amount of schoolwork that had piled up while he'd been working on his performances, and the fact that his system was running on a serious lack of sleep, and that he had to rely on the one person he trusted least for the success of his stage.

He listened to the music and danced.

When the song came to an end, Minghao opened his eyes and caught his breath, the sound of applause loud in his ears. He looked over at his audience - Seungkwan, who had now joined Soonyoung and Seokmin, was cheering enthusiastically. "You go, Minghao!" he yelled, a wide smile on his face, his cheeks rosier than ever.

Minghao gave them an exaggerated bow, and joined Junhui in his place in the corner.

Junhui's jaw was agape, and he looked rather stunned. Minghao tried not to feel too proud of himself for momentarily rendering Wen Junhui speechless.

Pulling himself together, Junhui adopted a business-like tone and said, "Well, that was certainly helpful, because now I know how I can proceed with my composition."

A little disappointed, Minghao nodded. "Do you think only a piano accompaniment will put the effect across? I want the act to be an amalgamation of two completely different styles - something unique."

Junhui pondered for a while. "Since breakdancing focuses on the beats of a song, just me playing the piano may not be enough. If we had another track, which is a counterpart to my playing, we could reinforce the rhythm and make your dancing stand out a little more."

Going into this, Minghao had not expected Junhui to be quite this co-operative and invested in his performance. His suggestion made perfect sense, but arranging a completely new track didn't seem feasible to Minghao at this stage.

His dejection must've shown on his face, because Junhui continued, a little smug.

"Luckily for you, I know a guy."

~

Jihoon was  _adorable._

That was Minghao's first thought when he saw Junhui's genius producer friend, but something told him he shouldn't say that out loud.

After carefully knocking on the door and a warning look from Junhui, Jihoon let them into his studio. It was dimly lit by purple neon lights on one wall, and over a third of the room was occupied by what was sure to be top-notch audio equipment, four computer screens that were running simultaneously, and large speakers.

Minghao was a little intimidated.

He listened as Junhui explained their situation to Jihoon, a little grateful for his friendliness and the ease with which he could talk to people.

"I don't know, guys. I'm swamped with work now; I'm responsible for most of the sound production for  _Ideal Cut,_ and I've got my own projects to work on." said Jihoon, partially hidden as he sat on his giant, cushiony chair.

Minghao was ready to thank him and leave, but Junhui touched his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"Jihoon,  _please_? This is really important, and I'm doing the accompaniment live anyway, all you have to do is give us a backing track with the beats." Minghao didn't know how Jihoon was immune to Junhui's classic puppy dog eyes. For some reason, he felt a little annoyed.

We'll even help you, won't we?" Junhui dropped the act and looked meaningfully at Minghao, who nodded hastily.

Jihoon sighed. "You owe me big time for this, Jun. A lifetime supply of your cookie dough or nothing."

"You've got it!" Junhui yelled in delight. He attempted to smother Jihoon in a hug but was pushed off by the scowling man.

A little awkward, Minghao cleared his throat and thanked Jihoon as sincerely as he could. 

Once outside the studio, Junhui looked expectantly at him. "Thank you." said Minghao, a little grudgingly.

Junhui nodded, pleased. Minghao looked away quickly; the smile on the other's face was a little too warm for his liking.

~

_He was late._

_As far as tenth birthdays go, Minghao had had a good one, but Junhui still hadn't come, and the day was almost over._

_After waving all his friends and relatives goodbye, Minghao traipsed up the stairs to his room, disappointed._

Junhui never missed any of his important days.

_Running over all the possible things that could've made Junhui mad at him, Minghao found himself dozing off._

"Hao! Wake up."

_Minghao was being shaken awake. Through bleary eyes, he saw the familiar figure of Junhui looming over him. He sat bolt upright._

_Before he could ask Junhui why he was late, the older boy said, "I'm so sorry I couldn't make it on time, Hao, I wanted to buy you a present, but_ Mama  _got delayed at work and she couldn't take me to the shops, and when we were there, it was so hard to find exactly what I was looking for, and now I'm too late, and - "_

_"It's okay." said Minghao, with a soft smile on his face. Junhui tended to ramble when he was nervous, unlike Minghao, who simply clammed up. He liked to think that all their differences made them the perfect team._

_Junhui beamed back. He reached behind his back and brought out his present. Minghao gasped in delight._

_It was a large, green Kermit the Frog plush toy with a shaky 8 scrawled across its front in black marker. Minghao stared at it for a moment, and then at Junhui._

_"I got it because it's your favourite character, and 8 is your lucky number. I hope you like it, Hao - "_

_Before he could complete his sentence, Minghao tackled him with a big hug, and Junhui, who was a little bigger than him, cuddled him back._

_Pulling away, Minghao whispered, "I love it. Thank you, Junhui." He hugged the toy close to his chest._

_Junhui's eyes twinkled brighter than the stars in the sky that night._

~

Minghao wiped the sweat off his brow and threw himself on the floor of the studio.  _This was proving to be harder than he'd thought._

After their meeting with Jihoon, Junhui had proposed that they give each other a week to perfect their end of the performance, using the base track Jihoon had given them as reference, and then begin meeting to practice together.

Minghao closed his eyes. Their group dance was coming along well, thanks to their teamwork and the hours of practice they'd already put in. It was his own dance he was worried about. The week of complete silence from Junhui was also unnerving.

"Hey!"

Minghao opened his eyes and saw Chan's face hovering over his. He groaned and closed his eyes again. "I'm tired."

"I saw your solo dance, it looks amazing!" he gushed.

Unfortunately, Chan's enthusiasm was not contagious, and Minghao couldn't help but doubt himself. "Thanks, buddy. I still need to work on my windmill and get the timing right."

"You'll get there." Soonyoung said, walking towards them. "By the way, our final mix just came in, and it sounds sick. This Jihoon guy really knows what he's doing."

Chan whooped and ran off, presumably to listen to it. Soonyoung sat down by Minghao. "You good?" he asked, concerned.

"I am, really. I  _know_ I can do this. It's just - Junhui is not behaving like I thought he would. He's being surprisingly decent."

"Isn't that a good thing? I know you guys have some history that you haven't told us about, but this performance means a lot to you, Minghao. Don't let something that happened years ago ruin it."

Minghao nodded.

"Great! Now I've got to meet Jihoon, I have a few questions about the track." Soonyoung said in his characteristic, exuberant way.

Minghao laughed a little and waved him off. "I have a feeling you'll like him."

Alone again, Minghao was just about to get up and resume his practice, when his phone vibrated with a text.

_I'm sort of done with my piece, I think you should take a look. Meet me in the practice room at 6? - Jun_

Minghao shot him an affirmative response. After Soonyoung's little pep talk, he tried to be less sceptical about the whole thing.

_This should be interesting._

~

"Shit, sorry!"

Junhui's first three attempts to play his piece were foiled by his shaking hands. "I haven't composed an original in a while, I'm a little nervous, not going to lie."

Minghao didn't mind. It was strangely endearing to see the usually confident Junhui at a loss, especially the way he grimaced when he played a false note, as if personally offended by it.

 _The finished product_ , Minghao thought,  _was gorgeous._

"So, what do you think?" asked Junhui, looking at Minghao hopefully.

"I like it, Junhui. You've done well." Junhui brightened visibly. "Now we've got to put everything together."

Minghao stood up, gestured at Junhui to start playing and tried to sync his steps to the music. It went about as badly as he'd expected. Junhui fumbled with a few notes, and in his uncertainty, Minghao tripped over his own feet a few times.

After a particularly bad misstep, Minghao expected Junhui to lose patience, but to his surprise, the other let out a little laugh, which soon turned into his trademark hearty one, in which his jaw unhinged and he threw his head back.

Minghao could do nothing but stare at Junhui for a few seconds. His face felt a little warm, and his lips quirked up of their own accord.

"Right." Junhui took a deep breath in an attempt to compose himself. "Clearly we need more practice. Good thing we have - what?"

"Three weeks." supplied Minghao, the reality of the situation setting in for the both of them. Their laughter took on a more hysterical edge.

"Okay, once more from the top."

~

_Minghao loved times like these. His family and Junhui's, together at dinner._

_He looked around the table fondly. Both sets of parents were talking about Adult things, although he and Junhui were mentioned several times. As an only child, Minghao had a major soft spot for Junhui's little brother, Fengjun, who sat across from them, playing with his food and telling them about his day at school._

_Beside him, Junhui listened intently and laughed at all the right places. Minghao wished he could stay in this moment forever._

" _Minghao! Your_ Mama  _tells me you did really well in your Science test this term." Junhui's mother remarked, as she ladled some soup into Fengjun's bowl._

_Minghao smiled and thanked her, while his parents looked proud._

_"You've also been working really hard on your dance. Now if only Junhui had that kind of dedication." she tutted._

_Now, Minghao was unsure how to respond. He thought Junhui was perfect as he was - he played the piano so well, got along with everyone he met and was the funniest person Minghao knew._

_Junhui's mother continued. "His performance in school just isn't up to par. He hasn't even been practicing the piano properly, running off to play all the time. What am I to do with him?"_

_Next to him, Minghao noticed Junhui's knuckles turn white from how tightly he was gripping his chopsticks. Minghao was too scared to look at his face; he hated seeing Junhui upset._

_"And here I thought Minghao would be a good influence on him."_

_Here, Junhui's mother was cut off by Minghao's own, who put her arm on the other woman's, and gently shook her head. "Let it go."_

_And conversation proceeded as usual._

_But Junhui didn't stay back to sleep over at Minghao's house like he did every weekend._

~

"Let's get out of here."

Minghao was still panting when Junhui made the suggestion, slumping over his piano. He was too tired to respond, instead flailing his arm in Junhui's general direction, not moving from his position on the floor.

They were on Week 2 of joint practice, and they were finally getting a hang of this synchronisation thing. Junhui had drawn up a practice schedule after consulting both their timetables, and he bombarded Minghao with incessant texts about the performance.

At first, Minghao replied with curt, monosyllabic answers but lately, he found himself sending Kermit the Frog memes to the boy in the middle of class. Junhui always responded almost instantly, his messages filled with the most ridiculous emojis.

Minghao also found himself listening to Junhui's piece, even when he wasn't practicing and wanted to forget all about his upcoming performances. It calmed him down.

"Come  _on_!" Junhui walked over to Minghao, and tugged at his arm. "We've been at it for hours. I don't even know how you're still functioning at this point. You need sustenance!"

Minghao allowed himself to be pulled up. He'd forgotten how touchy Junhui was. Personally, he was never one for physical affection, but exhausted as he was, he didn't have the heart to tell Junhui to let go of his arm.

And Junhui held on till they reached the small Chinese restaurant on campus.

Minghao added the old woman who owned the place to the long list of people who loved Junhui. She smiled toothily upon seeing him and gave them the best seats in the house. He smiled back cheerily and asked about her family, offering to help out in the restaurant on particularly busy days.

It was times like this that Minghao momentarily forgot the reason they'd drifted apart, the reason he'd felt nothing but resentment for Junhui until only a few weeks ago.

 _They really should should talk about it,_ he thought, turning the pages of the menu.

But that would ruin the delicate truce they'd both formed implicitly. Junhui seemed content to sweep the whole thing under the carpet without an explanation, but Minghao couldn't do that. Everytime he found himself beginning to enjoy himself with Junhui, old memories would swim up to the surface of his mind, and he would become surly and irritable, leaving them both at an awkward impasse.

"The hotpot here is amazing, so that's what I'm getting." Junhui announced. "I'd recommend it to you, but I know you're not very good with spicy food."

A little thrown off that Junhui remembered this about him, Minghao ordered a plate of steamed dumplings for himself.

Junhui chatted away while they waited for their food. It was as if their animosity a few weeks ago had never existed to him.

He always was good at not letting things affect him, Minghao thought, as he looked at the loving way in which Junhui inhaled his food - the only time he stopped talking.

Minghao was suddenly reminded of the weekly dinners their families used to have. A thought struck him.

"How's Fengjun?"

Junhui's face lit up at the thought of his little brother. "He's just turned thirteen, and he thinks he's all grown up now. He's got his own phone and everything; we've made a pact to text every single night. I miss him so much."

Minghao smiled at that.

"He's doing really well in school, too. _Mama_  told me he even won an essay writing contest. He's much smarter than I ever was." Junhui said, with a laugh.

His smile dimming a little, Minghao felt the urge to refute Junhui's statement, as light-heartedly as he'd said it. This particular topic had always been unsure waters, and Minghao didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure Junhui would appreciate Minghao making any comments, especially since they hadn't been friends for years now.

It just didn't sit right with him, though. He changed the topic quickly, to something that would make Junhui smile again.

It was late when they began making their way back to their dormitories at a sedate pace. There was a comfortable silence between the two, both pleasantly stuffed from the delicious food.

"I have a cheesy pickup line. Tell me if it's good." Before Minghao could respond, Junhui continued. "Is my heart on the left side or the right side?"

Minghao certainly hadn't expected to be hit with cheesy pickup lines out of the blue. Nevertheless, "the left side," he said, carefully.

Junhui let out a guffaw, and clapped a hand to Minghao's chest. "No, it's on  _your_ side!"

There was a long pause.

Comprehension dawned in Junhui's eyes, and he seemed to remember himself and to whom he was talking. He quickly retrieved his hand as though burned. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, ready to apologise.

Before he could, Minghao shoved him hard. "Wen Junhui, that is the single lamest thing I've heard all year. You need to work harder on your lines."

Junhui's peals of laughter echoed through the night.

~

_What was he even doing here?_

To his utter bemusement, Minghao found himself in front of the Music Theory lecture room, for the fourth time that week. He didn't particularly know what he wanted to do there. He'd stopped trying to rationalize it.

Minghao shifted his feet awkwardly, trying to look like he belonged there. To his relief, he spotted Joshua in the distance, talking to a professor. When his conversation was over, the boy turned to see Minghao waving him over.

"I haven't seen you in ages. How's practice coming along?" asked Joshua, in his gentle voice.

Minghao was only too pleased to tell him about his absolute confidence in his team, considering the immense amount of work they were putting in.

Joshua raised an eyebrow. "And what about your solo?"

"Oh, we've come so far from our first day of practice! Junhui and I meet almost everyday so we can perfect it, and we've only got this little part that's giving us trouble. We still cleared the eliminations easily. I'm actually  _excited_ for the final event." said Minghao, a dreamy look on his face.

"Good for you. So I take it your little falling-out with Jun is finally resolved now?" Joshua's tone was playful and he had a gleam in his eyes.

 _How does everyone know about that?_ thought Minghao, as he shrugged, non-committal.

Just then, the bell rang, signalling the end of class. A few seconds later, the door opened and the students began filing out.

Surprisingly, Junhui was one of the first people to come out and his expression when he saw Minghao was bright enough to power a small city.

"Minghao! Practice today after lunch?"

Minghao nodded. "I actually came here to remind you, in case you'd forgotten."

"How could I? Look, I've got to run now, I'm already late for Psych. See you in a bit." With that, Junhui ruffled Minghao's hair and jogged away.

Minghao stared after him, his hand coming up to touch his now ruined hair. Joshua, who had been amusedly watching the whole interaction, cleared his throat.

"Don't you have class too?"

Minghao started. "Right, I do. But before that, could I ask you a favour?"

~

Minghao couldn't sleep.

He rolled over in his bed and looked at his phone. It was 2:18 in the morning.

After several minutes of tossing and turning in vain, Minghao gave up trying to fall asleep. He put on his glasses and slipped out of his room.

Without really thinking about it, he made his way to the practice room, which was deliberately left open for students who liked to work at night.

 _Might as well practice the parts I'm struggling with_ , he thought, as he pushed the door open.

To his surprise, he heard the faint tones of a piano wafting out of the room. When he stepped in, he saw Junhui hunched over the piano, his body rocking back and forth as he played. Minghao thought it sounded awfully melancholy.

Junhui looked up when he heard the door close behind Minghao. He didn't look his usual animated self tonight. Without a word, he shifted a little in his seat, and continued playing.

Minghao walked over and sat down next to him.

"Couldn't sleep?" Junhui asked eventually. Minghao shook his head. "Neither could I."

Maybe it was something about the lateness of the hour and the stillness in the air, but neither of them felt the need to talk. Minghao was content to just listen to Junhui's music.

A few moments later, Junhui began singing along to the song he was playing. Minghao hadn't heard it before, but he thought it sounded beautiful in Junhui's soft, dulcet voice.

That's when Minghao made the mistake of turning to look at Junhui's face.

He was rendered momentarily breathless by the way Junhui's eyelashes fluttered as he sang, the perfect angle of his nose and the sharp lines of his jaw. His face looked utterly tranquil, bathed in the moonlight streaming in through the window.

Minghao didn't realise that Junhui had stopped playing until the other boy chuckled under his breath.

Junhui turned towards Minghao too, and slowly leaned closer to him. He gently touched the silver piercings that lined Minghao's left ear, a look of wonderment on his face.

"I never thought the Hao I knew would get so many piercings. I like them."

Minghao didn't know what to say. He let Junhui continue, his fingers warm to the touch.

"I tried calling you so many times. It never went through." said Junhui, wistfully.

Minghao knew exactly what he was talking about. He just didn't think Junhui would be the first one to bring it up. The other boy dropped his hand and kept speaking.

"I know the last few months were weird between us. I thought we could make it work when I had to move away, but it was like you shut me off completely. All those calls, all those texts, even  _letters_ \- and complete radio silence from you. I didn't know what to think."

Minghao didn't believe that. Surely, Junhui had  _some_ idea as to why Minghao had chosen to ignore all his attempts to contact him.

Junhui continued. "When I first saw you here, I was overwhelmed, and a little hurt. I think that's why I antagonized you, but then I simply couldn't keep it up. I was just so happy to see you again."

Minghao still didn't know what to say. Junhui seemed so  _genuine_. Maybe it was Minghao who had got things wrong, all those years ago. It would certainly explain Junhui's behaviour now.

He now had a distant look in his eyes. "After we moved, things only got worse with  _Mama._ She was always so disappointed in me, no matter how hard I tried. The constant comparisons and taunting didn't help either. She made me join this posh,  _exclusive_ school where they groomed the "leaders of the world", and I  _hated_ it. They didn't let me play the piano there.

This year, I finally put my foot down and insisted on coming here, even if it's my last year. She still thinks I'm wasting my time, studying  _Music Theory._ " Junhui laughed bitterly.

Minghao's heart hurt for the boy who played the piano so beautifully, who used to go out of his way to make him laugh when he was sad, and was the most wonderful person Minghao had ever known in all his eighteen years.  

"If I'm happy about one thing, it's getting to do this with you. All these weeks of practicing have reminded me just how much I love playing, and helped me realise that  _this_ \- this is what I want to do. So thank you, Minghao, for letting me be a part of your performance."

One look at the tears brimming in Junhui's eyes and the forlorn look on his face, and Minghao let himself forget about the event that had driven a wedge between them, all those years ago. He reached over and took Junhui's hand in his.

" _O_ _ur_ performance." He corrected, smiling at Junhui, interlacing their fingers together.

Junhui smiled back tremulously. And in that moment, it felt like it was just the two of them, alone in the world.

~

The last week of practice went smoothly enough.

After that night, it was like everything had changed, but at the same time, nothing at all. 

Junhui went back to his usual effervescent self, making questionable puns and showering Minghao with affectionate touches that lasted a few moments longer than they should. But sometimes, Minghao caught Junhui staring at him with a curious expression that he could not decipher for the life of him.

Minghao, on the other hand, had never been this conflicted. In spite of himself, he realised that any bitterness he'd felt for Junhui had dissolved into almost nothing over the past month, especially after the night in the practice room. His interactions with the older boy now reminded him of the good times they'd had in their childhood, and Minghao was happier than he'd been in years.

But he couldn't get rid of the niggling doubt in his mind, and the small voice in his head that kept reminding him about what had happened exactly two days before Junhui was supposed to move away.

Junhui hadn't provided an explanation for it yet, and Minghao was terrified to broach the topic, for fear that it would shatter the tentative peace between them, and make him feel the way he had seven years ago. He never wanted to feel like that again.

For now, he focused on his dance, and used every second of free time he had to practice.

Under Soonyoung's eagle eye, their team had perfected all their angles and formations. As for his solo, Minghao was now confident with his coordination with Junhui and the harmony between both their individual parts. The whole  _fusion_ thing had come together nicely.

Going out for Chinese food with Junhui after each practice session became a regular thing. Minghao knew he was truly gone the day they'd both discovered that they had a free period, and rather than using it to add finishing touches to their performance, they'd watched a movie in Junhui's room instead.

~

Minghao couldn't find Junhui anywhere.

It was the day of  _Ideal Cut,_ and for all his confidence, Minghao couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Everything had been leading up to this point, this day, this performance.

Minghao had seen the other teams practice in the studio, and he suddenly felt overwhelmed. He decided that he needed to talk to Junhui. He was sure that the older boy's ever flowing positivity would calm him down and put him in a good space before the performance.

Minghao looked in their practice room, but it was empty. He walked around, trying to think where Junhui could possibly be. He wasn't replying to texts or picking up his phone, and Minghao was starting to get a little worried. _This was very unlike Junhui._

He caught sight of Wonwoo near the stage area, talking to the photography and editing team. Minghao went up to him. "Have you seen Junhui?"

Wonwoo shook his head. "Not since I left the room this morning. Why?"

Minghao mumbled something about wanting to talk to him about their performance, and walked away, Wonwoo calling out a "good luck!" behind him.

There was an hour left for the programme to start.

The place was buzzing with activity, and students walked around busily, looking both agitated and excited in equal measure.

Backstage, Minghao saw a panicked Seungkwan (who was the MC for the day) repeating all his lines, trying to memorize them. Hansol, who hadn't left his side all day, attempted to calm his nerves. He held cue cards and prompted Seungkwan whenever he needed it, an incredibly fond look on his face.

Minghao frantically did another round of all the practice rooms, Junhui's dorm and the cafeteria. The boy was nowhere to be seen.

 _Ideal Cut_ began right on time. Seungkwan did a great job keeping the audience in high spirits with his jokes and an exaggerated way of talking. The performers went on one after another, and Minghao watched from backstage, unable to focus on any of them properly.

Before he knew it, Seungkwan announced that it was time for his group's performance. The members huddled together, and Soonyoung gave them a few words of encouragement, ending it with a loud "fighting!"

Minghao stepped out on the stage with his team, scanning the audience, hoping to see Junhui in the crowd.  _No luck._

He tried not to let Junhui's disappearance weigh on his mind, at least during the performance for which they'd all worked so hard. And as expected, they danced splendidly and brought the house down.

After a quick group bow, Minghao was rushed off stage, the adrenaline still coursing through him.

It was all very chaotic, with Coach Han yelling his approval and thumping them all on their backs. Seokmin, who had just finished his impressive duet with Seungkwan, grabbed Soonyoung, and the two began jumping up and down, shouting incoherently.

Someone tapped Minghao on the shoulder. He looked behind to see Seungcheol. "Weren't you looking for Jun earlier? I think I saw him going into Room 17C with Jeonghan a while ago."

Nodding his thanks, Minghao shared a last cheer with his team and walked away to find Junhui. Behind him, Seungcheol was excitedly telling Chan that his Michael Jackson tribute was the "killing part."

Room 17C was a tiny, rarely used classroom on the sixth floor. When Minghao approached it, the door was slightly ajar and he heard voices from inside.

He recognised Jeonghan's soothing voice. "Jun, you need to calm down. You have a performance in a few minutes, and Minghao is relying on you.

Minghao couldn't catch what Junhui said in response. He inched closer, knowing that he probably shouldn't be listening at the door like that.

He heard Junhui sniffle a little, and continue. " - only doing the performance for the exposure. I just - I'm _so_ tired of pretending. He has no idea about anything."

Minghao felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. His heart began racing and his mouth went dry. Still, he listened on, as Jeonghan attempted to placate Junhui.

"No, Jeonghan. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to this whole thing. It'll only end in heartbreak."

Minghao had heard enough. He opened the door and walked right up to Junhui, ignoring Jeonghan's alarmed expression and his arm trying to stop him.

"You absolute bastard. Just when I'd begun to trust you, you turn around and do this _again."_

Junhui opened his mouth to explain, trying to reach out to touch him. Minghao backed away slowly. "Stay away from me." His voice was cold, devoid of emotion.

Minghao turned and stalked out of the room, the image of Junhui's stricken face burned at the back of his mind.

~

_Minghao was miserable._

_His parents had just told him that Junhui and his family were going to move away. Apparently, they'd known this for quite a while, but they hadn't told Minghao, so that he wouldn't be sad._

Two days.

_Junhui would go away in two days. No more playing games after school, no more singing and dancing to Big Bang together, no more sleepovers. But most of all, no Junhui._

_Minghao didn't know what he would do without the older boy._

_He walked out of his house, deep in thought._ Why didn't Junhui tell me _? he thought dolefully._ We're supposed to tell each other everything.

_But then again, things had been strange between them for months now. Even Minghao could see that. Junhui didn't invite him over to his house as much. In school, he pretended not to notice him sometimes, especially when Minghao told him about his scores on tests or his awards for breakdancing._

_And now, he was going away, without resolving any of this. Suddenly, Minghao was angry._

_He began walking in the direction of Junhui's house. There was a large moving van outside, with loads of empty cartons lying around. Minghao walked past them and reached the back of the house, which was surrounded by a fence; they usually used the backyards to enter each other's houses. Something about it seemed cooler._

_Minghao was about to push the rickety gate open, when he heard voices. Peering through the fence, he saw two figures sitting on the swings, moving slowly, their feet still touching the ground._

_One of them was Junhui, and the other was a boy Minghao recognised from Junhui's year. They were talking, and Minghao was about to leave and come back later, when he heard his name._

_"Minghao's going to be torn when you leave. What are you going to do?" The other boy asked._

_Minghao wanted to know that too. He took a deep breath, looking forward to how Junhui would answer, how much he'd miss Minghao._

_Junhui scoffed._

" _Please, he'll be okay. We only even hang out because our mothers are friends. He can be an annoying little brat sometimes."_

_Minghao felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. He couldn't believe his Junhui was talking about him like this._

_"Everywhere I go, it's always_ Minghao this, Minghao that. _" Junhui spat, scornfully. "Why can't people understand that we're different people? God, I'm glad I'm moving away."_

_Minghao had heard enough. He turned quietly and walked away, struggling to breathe. The tears that had welled up now streamed down his cheeks, blinding him. He stumbled a little and fell on the pavement. He'd scraped his knee; he didn't care. He just wanted to get away._

_As soon as he reached home, Minghao locked himself in his room. He had to_ think.  _He looked up and saw Kermit the Frog lying on his bed, leering at him. He picked it up and flung it across the room in a rage. He sat down, and put his head in his hands._

Nothing was making any sense.

_Minghao didn't leave his room for hours. That evening, when his mother told him that Junhui was waiting downstairs, Minghao told her (without opening the door) that he felt sick and couldn't play, his voice muffled by his pillow._

_He avoided Junhui for the next day too, and finally, it was the day of his departure. Minghao's mother came up to his room, and saw him lying on the bed. Stroking him gently, she said, "I understand if you're feeling sad, but Junhui and his family are here to say goodbye."_

_Minghao shook his head furiously. After several more attempts to pacify him, Minghao's mother looked at him sadly and left._

_Minghao's new phone had been constantly buzzing with texts and calls. One look, and they were all from Junhui. Minghao didn't respond to any of them._

_When he went down for dinner that night, his parents looked at him worriedly. After reassuring them that he was fine, Minghao said, "If you get any calls from Junhui, tell him I'm not at home or something. I think minimising communication will prevent us from missing each other too much."_

_Minghao tried his hardest to move on after that, but Junhui's words had carved a permanent hole in his heart and would stay there for years to come. He never made another best friend._

_He told himself to forget all about Junhui. But he never really succeeded._

~

"Where the hell have you been?"

Minghao registered Mingyu's panicked voice through his daze. Mingyu shook him roughly. "What's up with you? You're up next! Where's Jun?"

Minghao jerked out of Mingyu's grip and walked into the backstage area. His mind was in a whirl. Nothing was making sense. _Not again,_ he kept thinking.

When Minghao had heard Junhui's words, his first reaction was immeasurable anger, but now, it was slowly giving way to the same heart-wrenching misery he'd felt all those years ago.

He thought about Junhui's behaviour towards him, not just in their childhood, but over the past month. He just couldn't reconcile his Junhui with the one who'd said such cruel things about him, not once, but twice.

Minghao couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. The inconsistencies in Junhui's behaviour just didn't add up.

Before he could retrace his steps back to Junhui and demand an explanation, he heard an announcement.

_"And coming up next, is the unusual fusion of breakdancing and classical music. Put your hands together for Xu Minghao, who will be accompanied by Wen Junhui."_

Minghao found himself being ushered on stage, and Seungkwan mouthed a "good luck" to him as he walked off.

The spotlight found him, and Minghao was momentarily blinded. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision, and when it did, he saw thousands of indistinct faces in the crowd.

_He was thoroughly fucked._

Minghao had no idea where Junhui was, and if he was even coming. He couldn't possibly do this without him. Junhui's words still resonated in his mind, but Minghao was not sure if he'd made the right decision by storming out like that.

He was afraid that their relationship had reached a point beyond repair, but now, he was terrified of making a fool of himself on stage.

There were a few unbearably long seconds of silence, until the audience started clapping. Confused, Minghao looked around to see the silhouette of another figure on the stage with him.

It was Junhui.

Minghao's knees nearly buckled in relief. But Junhui's appearance only served to confuse him further. If Junhui hated him so much, why had he bothered to show up for the performance at all, let alone put countless hours of practice into it?

Minghao's instinct that that not everything was as it seemed, only grew stronger.

 _He looked a little like a prince_ , Minghao thought, as he watched Junhui take his seat in front of the large pianoforte. He wore a silky white shirt and black pants, which contrasted perfectly with Minghao's all-black ensemble and white belt.

Even in the harsh stage lights, Junhui looked ethereal. Without looking up, he gave Minghao his cue and began playing.

Minghao was ready. They'd practiced this a million times, and he didn't even have to think about it. He let his body take over, guided by Junhui's exquisite playing.

Although his dancing required him to exert a lot of energy, his mind remained calm.

He thought of the times Junhui had let him win at games and had sat through Minghao's favourite horror movies. Junhui would always pick out Minghao's least favourite vegetables from his plate and eat them for him, before they were caught by their mothers.

Junhui had once spent hours helping him perfect a wushu move that he'd found particularly difficult. "I may not always be around to protect you, so you've got to stand up for yourself." He'd said.

Minghao thought of just a few days ago, when he'd been feeling under the weather at practice, and had come to his room to find a steaming hot cup of his favourite herbal tea on the table. There was an encouraging little note under it, which had an adorable hand-drawn cat saying "get well soon".

Minghao thought about every moment he'd ever spent with Junhui, and how the older boy had never made him feel anything less than absolutely loved. He thought of Junhui's pain and how he hid it behind his lovely smiles, and how he'd always been a steadfast, hopeful presence in Minghao's life. 

Minghao couldn't bring himself to believe that the same boy who used to tuck him into bed and sing him to sleep, would dismiss him so easily.

_"We only even hang out because of our mothers - I'm so tired of pretending - I'm glad I'm moving away - It'll only end in heartbreak."_

Junhui's voice echoed in Minghao's head as he danced, executing a perfect windmill. _After the performance, he would talk to Junhui,_ Minghao thought.

If Junhui had a solid justification for why he'd said those things, Minghao would finally admit the feelings he'd been harbouring for the older boy for as long as he could remember, without even realising it.

And if he didn't, Minghao would be heartbroken, but he would come to terms with it, present Junhui with the Oscar for "Best Actor in a Negative Role" and walk right out of his life.

But for now, he wanted to give Junhui what he hadn't seven years ago - _a chance to explain himself._

Minghao blinked.

The bright lights were back on, dazzling him. He heard the deafening sound of applause, like a wave crashing over him.  _Was that a standing ovation?_ Exhilarated, Minghao bowed deeply. He looked over at the other end of the stage for Junhui, his eyes shining.

He was gone.

~

Minghao found himself backstage, barely registering the crowd of people fussing over him, and the shouts of praise coming his way.

Shaking himself, Minghao grinned widely at all his friends, still feeling overwhelmed. A bright-eyed Chan came up to high-five him, and Seokmin and Mingyu crushed him with their bear hugs.

"An arresting performance." Minghao looked up to see a smirking Jihoon. "You know, I should produce more dance tracks, I quite enjoyed the result this time."

Minghao recalled the spellbound look he'd caught on Jihoon's face as he was watching Soonyoung dance. He smiled back. "Thanks Jihoon. You're a star."

Minghao would've stayed to talk, but he had a mission. He pushed past the throng of people to find the one he wanted to see the most.

"Ask Jun when I'm getting my cookie dough!" Jihoon yelled behind him.

Before Minghao could dash away again, he was cornered by Joshua and Jeonghan, who had twin proud smiles on their faces. Joshua gave him a meaningful look, turning his phone over in his hand. "I did what you asked."

"Thank you, I'll get back to you on that. But if you can excuse me -". The two older boys let Minghao get away, sharing an amused look, perfectly aware of the reason behind his urgency.

Minghao couldn't find Junhui anywhere backstage. Desperate to resolve the situation before it was too late, he thought about where the older boy might be.

_He had a hunch._

~

The practice room was empty, save for a lone figure sitting at the piano.

When Minghao slowly pushed open the door, he saw that Junhui wasn't playing anything this time. He was staring into the distance, a look of sheer consternation marring his features.

Junhui looked up with a jolt when he heard Minghao enter the room, and he stood up in a rush. He began apologizing hurriedly, an anguished expression on his face.

"Look, I know what you heard sounded terrible, but you have to hear me out! I didn't mean- "

Minghao stalked towards him, a hard look in his eyes. He saw Junhui's eyes widen, and he stopped in the middle of his defence. Minghao crowded him; they were close enough that he could count every one of Junhui's eyelashes.

And Minghao kissed him.

For a few terrible seconds, Junhui was unresponsive, and Minghao was afraid he'd made the biggest blunder of his life. But then, Junhui's arms came up to rest on Minghao's waist, and he kissed back.

Minghao had never felt anything like this before. Junhui's mouth was warm against his, and one of his hands slowly slid up to the back of Minghao's neck. Junhui continued to kiss him, soft and sweet. They were in perfect sync - like the harmony between their music and dance.

It felt  _right,_ and Minghao thought he could happily keep doing this forever.

The kiss soon turned heated, and Junhui seemed to get more eager. When Minghao felt his legs hit the piano seat, he was brought back to reality. He put his hands on Junhui's chest and gently pushed him back.

Junhui's eyes were blown wide and he had a slightly dazed, but content look on his face. "What was that for?"

Minghao tugged at Junhui's hand, and they both sat down. Now a little grave, Minghao said, "Turns out, resentment is corrosive, and I hate it."

At Junhui's questioning glance, Minghao elaborated. "I heard you. Not just a few hours ago, but just when you were about to move away, all those years ago."

As Minghao recounted the details of the event, Junhui's expression grew more and more horrified, until he burst out.

"Minghao, I am  _so_ sorry! You have every right to be mad at me." Junhui had a look of utter self-contempt. "God, I'm so mad at myself for saying something like that, you must  _hate_ me."

"Trust me, I did. Till just a few weeks ago, I tried my best to hold on to that hatred, but you just make it so easy for me to absolutely adore you. But listening to something like that again, just a few minutes one of the most important performances of my life, messed my head up.

So now, I want to give you a chance to explain why you said what you did."

Junhui nodded solemnly. "You know how  _Mama_  is. Ever since I was little, she'd push me to get better grades, so I'd come out on top and make her proud. She never saw that I was always doing my best. Listening to the constant criticism did a number on my self-esteem, and I still struggle with that today. Nothing I did was  _ever_ enough.

And then you came along, probably the best thing that could've ever happened to me. Spending time with you made me forget about all the pressure for a while. But then, the only thing they ever talked about at home were your perfect grades and all your wonderful awards, how hard-working and sincere you were.

I tried so hard not to let it affect me, but I was a  _kid,_ and it hurt. I think the anger directed at my mother slowly turned into bitterness, and I've  _always_ regretted taking it out on you, especially towards the end.

That must've been what you overheard - an instance of me at my lowest point, so overcome with resentment that I threw away the most precious thing I had.

You have to know, I didn't mean a word of it then, and I don't now. Perhaps that's why I didn't even remember saying it. But I was absolutely devastated when you rejected all contact with me. Despite it all, you were still my best friend and you meant so much to me."

Minghao listened carefully to Junhui's explanation. He had no idea that things had been that bad, and that Junhui had been so troubled, all while being the best friend he could to Minghao. He wished Junhui had confided in him, that he'd confronted him instead of talking to someone else about him. But most of all, he regretted acting rashly and ending things like that.

Junhui continued. "I know I was wrong to think that about you. You deserve every bit of success you've achieved. And I don't think I ever told you, but it's so obvious that dance is your thing, and you're  _good._ I'm incredibly proud of you, especially tonight."

He now had a small smile on his face, and Minghao was glad to see it. He thought the sombre and gloomy expression didn't belong on Junhui's sunny face. "Thank you. Thank you for tonight. Thank you for telling me everything, and know that I forgive you completely. We were children, and you've more than made up for it since then."

Still curious about one last thing, Minghao asked softly. "But what about this time?"

Junhui looked a little contrite. "That was just me being a coward. You were so cold to me at first, I thought you were only spending time with me for the sake of your performance, and it was killing me.

After spending these weeks with you, I realised that I just couldn't pretend to be your friend any longer, not with the way I feel for you."

Minghao's stomach did a series of flips at that; he was sure his ears had turned red. "And how  _do_ you feel for me, Wen Junhui?" He asked shyly.

Junhui leant down and kissed him in reply.

Minghao's head was still spinning from all the new information, but he switched his brain off for a while and kissed Junhui back enthusiastically.

And in that moment, Minghao came to the profound conclusion that he was in love with his best friend. So he told Junhui as much.

The look on Junhui's face was priceless, and true to character, he began rambling nervously. "But Hao, are you  _sure?_ I still feel like a terrible person, maybe we should talk about this more, and-"

Minghao rolled his eyes and pulled him in for another kiss. And when they separated for air a few moments later, Junhui whispered the words back to him, an awestruck look on his face.

~

"Tell me what it says!" Junhui yelled.

Minghao had barged into Junhui's room a week after  _Ideal Cut_ , waving his phone around in excitement. Wonwoo, who was now used to the couple's strange behaviour, strategically slipped out, presumably to go find Mingyu.

An unsuspecting Minghao had decided to check his emails that day, only to find one addressed to him from Pledis International - one of the best institutes for music and dance instruction in the country.

After staring at the screen for an entire minute, dumbfounded, Minghao's first impulse was to read it with Junhui. Currently, he was jumping on Junhui's bed, moving out of reach of his boyfriend, who was trying to grab his phone. "I'm afraid to read it!"

Finally, he calmed down enough to open the email, Junhui breathing down his neck. His eyes moved rapidly over the formally worded email, and he caught the key phrases.

 _We had the pleasure of watching your performance on_ Ideal Cut - _an interesting concept - well executed - a splendid display of skill and coordination - happy to offer you and your accompanist a spot in our institute after your graduation - special training to enhance your skills -_

Minghao and Junhui looked at each other, eyes wide. Then with a gleeful shout, Minghao fell back on the bed, Junhui following after him. After several minutes of exhilarated yelling and laughter, the boys sobered up and tried to digest the news.

"I still have a year left to graduate." said Minghao, thoughtfully.

"I'll wait for you, Hao." Junhui turned to look at him, and took his hand. "We're in this together. There's no way we're passing up on this opportunity. "Special training by esteemed professionals", did you  _read_ that?"

Minghao chuckled. "Yeah, it's perfect. Exactly what I've always wanted. And now I get to do it with you."

After a few minutes of contentedly staring up at the ceiling, Junhui broke the silence. "I know you sent the video."

Minghao grinned. "Guilty."

Junhui looked incredulous. "How'd you even manage that? I thought only the photography team was allowed to record the event."

"I may or may not have asked Joshua, who happens to be the head of the Student Council, to bend certain rules." said Minghao, looking very self-satisfied.

After only a little persuasion, Joshua had agreed to record their performance, particularly Junhui's piano-playing, and passed on the video to Minghao.

After a little sleuthing, Minghao had managed to obtain Junhui's younger brother's number and sent the video to him, along with some instructions.

Junhui held Minghao's hand tighter. "She called me last night. She said she'd watched the video and was thoroughly impressed. She didn't think I had it in me. And you know what she said at the end? She said that she was _proud_ of me."

Minghao reached over to wipe away Junhui's tears. "Good to know she's finally seen the light. You're the smartest, kindest and most talented person I know, and you deserve the world. It's time more people understood that."

Junhui threw an arm and a leg around Minghao, hugging him tightly. "Thank you." His voice was muffled, as he nestled into Minghao's neck.

Minghao let himself be cuddled, smiling widely. "I'm glad I got to talk to Fengjun again. He's grown up so well. The kid sends me at least twenty memes a day."

Junhui smacked Minghao's stomach playfully, the both of them breaking out into laughter. Minghao's giggles turned into howls, as Junhui began aggressively tickling him. He writhed all over the bed, trying to escape, his stomach hurting from all the laughing.

Junhui finally stopped when he'd got Minghao pinned below him. Still breathing hard and cheeks flushed, Minghao looked up at Junhui's soft brown eyes, filled with love, and he thought he'd be okay.

_They'd be okay._

**Author's Note:**

> And scene! If you recognised Jun's dumb pickup line, the Endgame dialogue and the other little references, you're the real MVP. And by the way, breakdancing to classical music is actually a thing, and it's pretty cool!
> 
> Please leave any feedback in the comments, thanks for reading!


End file.
